Gotcha!
by ddp456
Summary: It's the Pine-Tree Detective from Piedmont versus the Lumberjack Princess of Gravity Falls in an endless game of cunning, strategy, and friendly tickles! Who will be the winner? You'll find out shortly. Thanks to deviantart artist, Avril-Circus for the cover art as well as inspiration for the story. Please leave as many comments/reviews/etc as possible!


_Hey guys and gals!_

 _Sorry for the wait, but I wanted to give you a small treat to whet your appetites as I work out a few new ideas for upcoming stories. And no, this isn't the story I hinted at in the poll on my homepage..._

 _Enjoy, and let me know what you think! Until next time..._

* * *

"GET BACK HERE, DIPPER!"

"BAH!"

Wendy Corduroy, the teenaged clerk in charge of manning the Gift Shop, nearly fell off her stool as she was pulled out of her slumber by the loudening shouts overhead. The thunderous sets of footsteps racing down the stairs and towards her direction only confirmed her suspicions: the Pines twins were at it again…

*BLAM!*

The swinging door leading from the parlor flew open, colliding noisily against the wall, as two brown-headed blurs raced around the room. They chased each other around the souvenir-holding tables and racks, nearly knocking over their overpriced wares in the process.

"C'MON, DIPPER! GIVE IT BACK!"

"NOT A CHANCE!"

The ginger rubbed her eyes as she let out an extra-long yawn, reaching her lengthy arms high over her trapper cap covered head, "What's all the hub-bub about, guys?"

Her co-workers froze in place as they recognized Wendy's voice. Mabel turned around to face her as she pointed a sweater-blanketed arm towards her twin brother, "Dipper took my "him-puppet" and won't give it back!"

"Your "what-what"?"

Dipper lifted his head, meeting his crush eye-to-eye as he explained his side of the story, "Remember when Mabel made sock puppet versions of all of us, Wendy? Mabel promised that she wouldn't use mine anymore, and I just caught her using it in some kind of new play."

"It's not a "play," Dipper." Mabel went further into detail. "Didn't you see the cameras? It's an instantaneous online broadcast! And if I don't have you, who else is going to play the romantic foil in my epic tale of forbidden love?"

Wendy crossed her arms, "I dunno, Dipper. It does sound like an important role…" She flashed a smile in hopes of encouraging her friend. After all, the fifteen-year old had no personal qualms about having a sewn cotton doppelganger of her own.

"But, Wendy," Dipper whined, "It's soooo embarrassing…"

"I know, dude, but remember all that junk we talked about earlier? About being itchy? Or rolling with Mabel's craziness? You gotta be bigger than that, buddy…"

After a brief silence, Dipper stood his ground and shook his head, "I'm sorry, Wendy, but I just can't do it. It's bad enough I was humiliated in front of the entire town, yet alone allowing it to be shown throughout the entire internet."

His main squeeze was somewhat stunned by the negative response. Usually, Dipper would go along with anything that she would suggest. To Wendy's recollection, this was the _first_ time that her young charge had openly defied her.

"Enough of this!" Mabel stormed towards her brother, eventually pinning him in a corner of the room. She prodded at his sides with a stern index finger, making Dipper back away with each ticklish poke.

"WHERE?!" *poke* IS?! *poke* IT?!" *poke* DIPPER?!"

Dipper held his breath, maintaining his firm position while forcing the chuckles back down:

"IT'S…ahh…SOMEWHERE…egh…YOU'LL…ha…NEVER…gah…FIND!"

Wendy watched the display as a devilish notion entered her mind. A sly smile crept across her freckled face. Having three little brothers of her own, she knew more than anyone that there were certain ways to deal with such levels of stubbornness. Wendy placed a comforting hand on Mabel's shoulder, "Stand aside, Mabes..." The lumberjack princess cracked her knuckles as she took a menacing step in Dipper's direction, "I got this…"

"G-G-Got what?!" the tiny detective stuttered nervously as the flanneled shape towered over him, "What do you got? You shouldn't have to get anything…"

"Oh, I beg to differ…" Wendy started to circle around her devotee, being able to do so in mere steps due to the size difference between the two. She flashed a playful wink to Mabel as the metal-mouthed girl covered her face as she waited in anticipation of the events unfolding before her. At first, Dipper tried his best to follow the direction Wendy traveled in, but after a few laps, he stopped as tenseness rose up from within; the odd scenario reminded him of being coiled about by a slithering snake.

The high-schooler scanned her prey from head to toe, wondering to herself where would be the best spot to strike. She had just witnessed his twin attack his mid-region to little reaction. In order to get the information she desired, Wendy knew that she would have to try harder than Mabel did.

After a few moments of awkward silence, beads of sweat traveled down Dipper's forehead. The heavy footsteps stopped behind him. Before the boy could react, he felt a pair of hands reach beneath his armpits and hoist his shorten body into the air. Dipper let out a girlish shriek as Wendy shouted triumphantly in his ear:

"GOTCHA!"

"Got-what?!" Dipper was left unsure of his sweetheart's intentions, until he started to feel four digits move up and down each hairless crevice, making him cringe involuntarily, "Oh, no! No! No!"

"Oh, yes!" Wendy's grin deepened as she dug her fingers deeper into each armpit, making her partner in crime twitch in ticklish agony. She held the tiny form away from her body in order to avoid his stubby kicking legs. Throwing his head back and releasing an overflow of laughter, Dipper tried his best to wiggle out of Wendy's grasp to no prevail.

"HAHAHAHA! STOP IT! STOP IT! *snicker* PLEASE!"

Wendy teasingly sang in her companion's ear, "I'll stop…as you as you tell us what we wanna know…"

"But…heeheehee…I can't…"

"But, you must…" she chirped back, her digits moving at a near blurred speed, her voice dropping even deeper, "Or else, I'll have to keep doing this… _forever_."

"NOOOOOO!" Dipper howled; his cry mixed with forced-joyful mirth. His face turned another shade of red as his form continued to writhe uncontrollably. He tried to swat away Wendy's torturous touch, but his noodle arms simply couldn't reach that far behind himself.

At long last, the twelve year old had reached his limit. He contorted his face and shouted aloud:

"HAHAHAHAHA! OK! OK! I GIVE UP! I GIVE UP! IT'S UNDER MY BED! WRAPPED IN AN OLD PILLOWCASE! NOW, PLEASE!"

Content with the answer given, Wendy stopped her attack and carefully set Dipper on the ground. He collapsed on his knees as he struggled to catch his breath. His crush walked around him and offered Mabel an open palm, "You see, Mabel? There's nothing to it…"

The tiny pixie slapped her friend's hand as hard as she could in celebration, "You tell it, girl!"

Amidst the victory, Wendy remembered her victim and wondered about his condition. She knelt down and overlooked the still-fallen Dipper, placing a palm on his vest-covered shoulder, "Dude, you still with us?"

Dipper huffed and puffed before looking up to answer her, "I'm…getting there…"

"Sorry if I was a bit rough with you there, Dip," Wendy apologized, "But, when I "gotcha," there's only one way things are going to go."

"…huh…"

Mabel reached over and pulled Wendy to her feet, "Don't worry, Wendy. He'll be fine! But, I can use your help with one last thing." The unusually tall teen was towed towards the exit as the slightly elder Pines twin narrated further, "You can play the role of the warrior queen from Venus!"

As the voices of the two females disappeared behind the door leading to the front room, Dipper could only stare into space, reflecting on Wendy's justification as his strength returned little by little.

""Gotcha," eh?"

* * *

Later that day, Wendy found herself bored as she finished the last of her daily chores. Fortunately, the quaint tourist trap hadn't seen a single visitor the entire afternoon, leaving her to leisurely lounge about.

"YYAAAAAWWWWNNN!" The ginger carefully leaned back on her stool, her shoulder blades positioned squarely against the peeling wall, "With all of this downtime, I bet I can catch another quick catnap before my shift ends…" With her long legs draping over the countertop, Wendy dangled her mud-covered lumberjack boots from her red and orange stocking feet before they went crashing to the floor.

Now comfortable, the redhead's head shortly started to droop downwards. A mixture of her slanted brown cap and long auburn hair provided extra shade for her closed emerald eyes. As time passed and Wendy drifted back into slumber, the entrance leading into the parlor slowly opened with a creaking sound, prompting the teenage girl to bat an eyelid.

"Mmm…?"

Still half-asleep, Wendy looked on as Mabel's pet pig, Waddles, casually pushed his way through the swinging door, and shuffled his way towards the center of the room.

The young adult sighed in relief, "Oh, it's just you, little guy…"

As if the animal had been offended by her remark, Waddles released an angry oink, and continued on his way with his head lifted upwards in an almost-snooty manner.

Wendy scoffed at the spectacle before her, "Well, nuts to you, too, Bacon!"

The tomboy resumed her summertime nap when all of a sudden, Wendy felt something roughly clamp onto both of her shins, pinning them together. With a surprised cry, she opened her eyes and attempted to lift her legs back over the counter, sensing something heavy holding them down on the other side, well out of her line of sight.

"What the –? " A sense of panic quickly overcame Wendy. At first, the naïve thought of Waddles mounting a sort of attack came to mind, but his lack of hands swiftly perished the idea. While Wendy tried to figure out what was happening, a familiar yet piercing voice soon made the strange situation crystal clear:

"Gotcha!"

Wendy's green eyes widened as she instantly recognized her assailant, "Oh, no…"

Seconds later, a near-electric sensation traveled through her entire body as Wendy sensed eight tiny fingers race up and down her exposed socked soles. Biting her lip in ticklish agony, she pulled at her legs again, finding that they were still held fast. The digits dug deeper into her sensitive foot bottoms, finally breaking down her defenses. The teen knew that she had to move carefully, or else, fall painfully to the ground.

"Heh-Heh!" Wendy accidentally let a few chuckles escapes from her lungs, "DIPPER! HAHAHA! DIPPER, LEMME GO RIGHT NOW!"

As Wendy continued to pump her legs towards freedom, she could make out the tip of a blue and white cap bobbing up and down the other side of the register.

"But, Wendy," the unseen boy detective quoted in a mocking tone, " _But, when I "gotcha," there's only one way things are going to go."_

"That's – HAHAHAHA! – That's not funny!"

"Oh, really?," Dipper responded, stroking his crush's tootsies faster and faster, "I think it's hilarious! Or, is it "not funny" because this time, it's happening to _you_?"

"Tee-hee! Can't it *snort!* Can't it be both? Besides, I'm – HA! - I'm not even ticklish!"

"I dunno. You seem pretty ticklish to me!"

Dipper looked up to see Wendy twitching, rocking back and forth in an effort to escape his hold. A mischievous grin formed across his face as he watched her chortle and giggle to her heart's content. Even though the tween knew he had played a dirty trick, he couldn't help himself in admiring and becoming lost in Wendy's contagious laughter.

Seeing the multi-colored peds wriggle in front of his face gave Dipper an idea, "Huh…Y'know, Wendy. I can see how much it's killing you like this…" With his one arm still wrapped around Wendy's ankles, Dipper reached around and pinched the tips of her stockings. He slowly started to pull them off, "…I can only imagine how much worse it'd be without socks…"

Upon hearing that last word, Wendy grew vivid, bucking and kicking with every fiber of strength, "NO! DON'T! NOT MY SOCKS! GET OFF! GET OFF! GET OFF!"

With one last thrust, Dipper's hold was loosened, sending him flying into the distance. At the same time, all of the jerking movements made Wendy lose her balance. With her arms flailing in the air, she slipped off her stool, as both landed on the wooden ground with a hard *THUD!*

Ending up on her bottom, Wendy rubbed her sore spots as Dipper went to her side, "Ohmigosh! Ohmigosh! Wendy! Are you alright?! I didn't mean – "

Dipper skidded to a stop as soon as he laid eyes on his fallen main squeeze. Wendy sat on the floor of the Mystery Shack, her freckled face was flushed. Her breath was quick and rapid. Her dark eyes, filled with excitement and outrage, focused on his tiny form, never once blinking or faltering away their target.

Out of pure instinct, Dipper hopped backwards just as Wendy lunged straight at him. Missing her mark by mere inches, she could only watch as her target darted back towards the safety of his upstairs bedroom.

"GET BACK HERE, DWEEB!"

"Sorry, Wendy!" Dipper yelled over his shoulder, "But like you said, you can't be mad because I gotcha!"

As she watched the door swing back and forth, Wendy could only chuckle to herself. Making it back to her feet, she went to the other side of the counter and collected her footwear. A thousand different scenarios went through her mind in which her young friend would receive his ultimate comeuppance.

"Of course he realizes… _this means war_ …"

* * *

The following day, Dipper had spent the majority of the day exploring outside. Although his recent findings had greatly furthered his research into the paranormal activities of Gravity Falls, it also kept him at safe bay from any sort of vengeance his copper-haired friend might had in mind.

After drudging himself up the rickety stairs, an exhausted Dipper threw open the worn-out door leading to the attic-converted bedroom he shared with his twin sister. As a consequence of that, there had been several times where the curious braced pre-teen had gone poking about in Dipper's personal belongings.

"AAARRRRGGGGHHH! MABEL!"

Judging by the scene before him, Dipper figured that today was definitely one of those days. His eyes were drawn to the small piles of books (including his treasured Journal #3) and papers lying at the base of the old bookcase mounted against the far edge of the room. Dipper dropped to his knees and started to sort through the mess as he grumbled under his breath about his sibling.

Unbeknown to Dipper, the true culprit was watching his every move. Hiding in the stealth of the shadows beneath Mabel's bed, the green-eyed monster licked her lips in anticipation as she waited for the perfect time to strike.

Dipper cradled his works beneath an armpit as he pulled the sturdy step stool from the side of the case to the front. He climbed up the steps, and stood on his tip-toes in order to reach the highest shelf – the safest place for him to keep the most secretive of information.

His stalker silently slithered out of her hiding place, swiftly rising to a standing position. She walked on her toes towards her quarry, shifting her weight so that an unwanted groan wouldn't alert Dipper to her presence.

At last, Dipper had finished stacking the last book. At that very second, a chilling thought entered his mind:

"Hang on a sec – _Mabel hasn't been home_. She's been hanging out with Grenda and Candy the entire day. But then who –?"

As Dipper started to turn around, a flash of red, brown, and plaid appeared out of the corner of his eye. It rushed in and swept the frightened boy up in its arms, making him screech out loud in pure terror.

"GOTCHA!" Wendy yelled in his ear as she gripped his love handles tightly. With Dipper in tow, the plucky teen backpedaled towards the nearby bed. She playfully squeezed and pinched his vulnerable underbelly, taking full delight in watching her admirer squirm involuntarily in her clutches.

"WENDY! NO! HAHAHA!" Dipper kicked and thrashed towards freedom, only to be defeated in every attempt. "YOU – YOU CAN'T DO THIS-AAHAHAHAHA!" His eyes closed as more high-pitched laughter rose up from his lungs.

"See, that's where you're wrong, buddy," Wendy gloated, "I _can_ do this, and I _will continue_ to do so!"

Wendy felt the edge of Mabel's bed poke the back of her legs. Taking a deep breath, she fell backwards onto the mattress, spinning around at the last second, effectively pinning the small boy down to the bed.

"Now…" Wendy grasped Dipper's sides even tighter, enjoying every moment of him quaking in ticklish agony, "Tell me what I wanna hear…"

Dipper could do nothing but roll from side to side helplessly, "HAHAHAHA – what – HAHA- what do you want me to say?"

She ran her fingers past his ribcage as if they were a baby xylophone, "Oh, I think you know…"

After a few seconds more of inescapable torment, Dipper blunted out bit by bit due to his shortness of breath, "HEEHEE! ALRIGHT! YOU WIN! HEEHEE! YOU WIN!"

Satisfied with his answer, Wendy stood up and bragged in front of her fallen adversary, "BOOSH!" She lowered her head towards her drained companion, crossing her arms before her, "When you mess with the tiger, you get the claws!"

"Ergh…" Dipper could only moan in return.

She tapped his knee, "I'll give you this, kiddo. You've got moxie, but you just can't beat the master." Wendy shook her head, "Nope, it just can't be done, but still, total props for trying though…"

"This…this…"

Wendy leaned in closer, "I know, right? I like, totally blew your mind, didn't I?" She pressed off against the bed and made her way towards the exit. "Maybe one day, you'll be able to reach my standard of excellence…" The victorious ginger walked down the hall, "…if you keep at it…"

Left panting on the bed, Dipper was able to pull his sentence together:

 _"This…this isn't over…not by a long shot!"_

* * *

"And over here, folks, is one of my most recent discoveries. The Mystery Shack proudly presents to you fine folks today…the legendary Two-Winged Piglet!"

"Grunkle" Stan Pines drew back the curtain on his latest sideshow attraction. An entire crowd of tourists gave a series of "Ooh's" and "Aah's" to the sight of Waddles adorably sitting on the floor, dressed with a pair of attachable white fluffy wings.

A small child from the group stepped up to try to pet the pig, "That's a cute piggy! Do its wings really work?"

"Of course they do!" Stan rushed over to shoo the fan away, pointing at him with his trusty 8-ball tipped cane, "How else do you think he got here?! He just flew in from Portland, and boy, are his wings tired!"

"Awwww!" The horde let out a thunderous amount praise and applause as Waddles sat mindlessly unaware of his current surroundings. From the other end of the room, Wendy could only shake her head in dismay at the demonstration in front of her.

"What a bunch of rubes!" Wendy pitied, "They'll cheer for anything that old coot throws out in front of them. Heck, I'll bet he didn't even ask Mabel to "borrow" the little guy…"

With a heave, the redhead returned her attention back to her assigned task. Stan had ordered her to change the used up light bulbs placed in all along the Gift Shop ceiling. Granted, Wendy knew that as the tallest of their group, she was probably the best choice in getting the job done, but it didn't mean it wasn't a royal pain doing so; so here she was, standing on top of a secured ladder, loosening them one by one.

As Stan continued to give his speech in hopes of convincing the hard-working folks besides him to contribute their cash, Wendy bent forward and unscrewed the bulb hanging in front of her. Unexpectedly, she felt something soft rubbing up against the back of her left knee, making her tip over slightly. As the odd feeling switched legs, the high-schooler fought the urge to buckle over as a grin speedily formed on her dimpled face. A chain of snickers were forced pass her lips, unintentionally cutting Grunkle Stan off in the middle of his speech.

The whole room grew deathly silent as every person turned to focus on the giggling lumberjack on the opposite corner of the room. A burning feeling ached in the back of Wendy's head as nervousness and embarrassment swelled throughout her being. A voice rose up from the back of the crowd, "Hey, old man! Not even your own workers can buy the bull you're shovelin'!"

As the entire group laughed at Stan's expensive, the elder angrily grit his teeth and turned in Wendy's direction, "Just what is so amusing, little missy?!"

Frozen like a deer in the headlights, Wendy forced herself to cough up an explanation, "Sorry, boss. I just had a tickle in my throat…"

"Well…just keep it down, all right?" Stan held a hand over his chest, "I'm trying to entertain here!"

With Stan's attention returned to his guests, Wendy turned around and searched her surroundings, wanting to find the source of the mysterious commotion. Sure enough, Dipper Pines was ducked down behind the table closest to her, completely hidden from his great-uncle's point of view. A giant, puffy feather duster was found in his thin noodle arms.

Wendy whispered downwards in Dipper's direction, "You! What do you think you're doing?!"

Dipper presented an innocent façade, "Nothing, really…" He shrugged his shoulders, "Stan asked me to dust, and here I am." He moved the cleaner utensil ever closer to her. "I'm not my fault you may or may not be in my way…"

Wendy swatted the duster away with her free hand, "You can't be doing this! If I interrupt Stan again, he's going to totally freak out!"

"Well then," Dipper falsely sympathized, "It's a good thing that you're "the master," right? You should be able to handle this while standing on your head…"

"Why, you..." The fifteen-year-old knew that she was in a pickle. It would be trouble if she would cause her boss to falter for a second time, and yet, there was no way she would be able to fight all of the distress Dipper had planned for her. She couldn't even hop off of the ladder and justly pound her buddy without drawing attention to herself.

And the worse thing of all was that _Dipper knew this._

Using all of her inner strength and perseverance, Wendy continued on with the task at hand as once more, she felt the extremely thin feather tip trace against the backside of her jean-covered leg. The ginger closed her eyes and bit her lip in an effort to remain quiet. She turned back around and watched Dipper in all his glory, an impish grin flashed in her direction.

Wendy shook her head back and forth, hoping to convince her smaller acquaintance to abandon his quest for revenge. Dipper, instead, nodded up and down and brushed the duster against her flanneled side, making her gasp aloud in shock. Wendy could hear him whisper up at her, "You like teasing people's tummies, huh? Let's see how you like it!"

She bit down harder, narrowing her eyes on her current job. All Wendy had to do was change a simple light bulb – a chore she had completed countless times before – and due to the actions of one little boy, it had turned into a near-impossible challenge.

Just as Wendy screwed the new bulb into the socket, she noticed that the duster had now traveled up towards her armpit. Like she was jolted with a bolt of lightning, the girl let out a shrilled yelp in reflex. Unfortunately, the reaction made the fried bulb slip from Wendy's fingertips, having it plummet to the ground. It shattered into a million pieces, creating another awkward silence throughout the room.

"CORDUROY!"

Both Wendy and Dipper covered their mouths in panicky response to the old man's harsh tone. She turned around to see Stan pointing straight at her, "I don't know what the deal is with you today! You know what? Make yourself useful _outside_ where you can't bother anybody. I dunno; go clean the gutters or something…"

"WHAT?!" Wendy looked back and forth between her employer and his troublesome nephew, "You can't be serious…"

"MOVE IT! NOW!"

Not wanting to get herself into further trouble, the defeated adolescent lowered her head and let out a groan. Shuffling her feet to her work station, Wendy grabbed a tiny dust pan and brush and returned to the site of the broken glass. As she swept up the mess, she looked over her shoulder to see Dipper, who only offered a shrug and a sheepish beam as he mouthed a message: _"Gotcha…?"_

Fully irked, Wendy calmly nodded and returned the gesture, murmuring as she walked back to her counter to empty the pan, "Just you wait, mister…" She disappeared beneath the wooden structure, only to reappear with sturdy yellow plastic gloves in her hands, "You're gonna get it…" Wendy passed by the unseen child one last time as she made her way towards the exit, " _You're gonna get it sooooo bad_ …"

Without making eye-contact with Stan or any of the guests, the redhead opened the door leading to the back end of the Mystery Shack and closed it behind her.

"Geez…" Stan rubbed the back of his head, "Sorry about that, folks. Like the old saying goes, " _Good help is hard to find!_ ""

A round of applause and laughter rang throughout the room as the master of ceremonies shifted back to his regular routine…

* * *

Dipper spent the rest of the day in his room, reading the various paranormal texts and tomes he had borrowed from the Gravity Falls Library. Not only would exploring this new information possibly help in his research, but it was also a guarantee that he would be safe from whatever retribution his fire-haired sweetheart had in mind for him.

By his count, he was winning in their shared "game" and had no intention of giving up his lead. Luckily for him, Wendy's shift had ended forty-five minutes ago, and as he watched her head for home, Dipper knew that he could rest easy.

"Hmm…?"

His attention waned as something out of the ordinary caught his eye. A thin fog skulked into the dilapidated room. At first, Dipper was unsure what to make of the sight, but after a minute to think things over, everything was made clear.

"YOU GUYS!"

Annoyed, Dipper hopped off his bed and marched into the hallway. Sure enough, the entire corridor was filled with the same mist. The irritated youngster shut his door, worried that the moisture would start to warp the vast collection of literature he had stashed away. He took a few steps forward as the sound of running water could be heard in the distance. Perceiving a splash underfoot, Dipper looked down to see a trail of fresh, wet footprints trailing away in the opposite direction.

"Okay!" he called out, "Who left the water going again?" Dipper went towards the upstairs bathroom as he continued on, "Mabel?! Stan?! Hopefully not Soos?!"

Dipper grabbed the door handle and pushed it open. A barrage of steam struck him in the face. "Blegh!" he complained, "It's like a small sauna in here!"

The tiny detective followed the source of the noise to the faucet, where the water was running on high capacity. The mirror mounted above was entirely fogged up. He ran a hand under the stream, finding himself disgusted yet again, "Oh, and the hot water's all gone! Who knows how long it's gonna take to come back!"

Usually, the twelve-year-old wasn't the biggest fan of bodily cleanliness, but as he found himself spending more and more personal time with his super-tall secret love, his views on the matter quickly changed.

However, due to the older structuring of the Mystery Shack, the hot water would only go for so long before reverting back to ice cold. This led to many family feuds about allotting time spend in the washrooms.

After turning off the faucet, Dipper tried his best to wave away the huge amount of condensation as a shape started to form in the shower curtain behind him. Moving like a ghost, the drape reached out with tiny plastic arm-like bumps towards the totally oblivious boy. Swooping him up in its arms, the entity clung onto Dipper securely as he let out a blood-curling scream.

Dipper twisted and turned, trying his best to break away from the ghostly trap. The clips holding the curtain to the railing overhead were ripped off one by one. Shortly after, the sheet fell over Dipper, blanketing him entirely on the still-dampen floor.

"HELP! HELP! MABEL! STAN! IT'S GOT ME! IT'S – HAHAHAHAHA!"

His demeanor changed as he felt the curtain poke and prod at numerous spots all over his body. As Dipper lied on the ground, fidgeting and wriggling non-stop, the true identity of his attacker was revealed.

"GOTCHA!" Wendy exclaimed from the other side of the sheet, "I gotcha again! Deuce! Deuce!" She pinched and prodded at Dipper's susceptible spots, switching in repetition between his armpits, stomach, and sides, "I said you were going to get it, and here we are!"

"Wendy, please!" Dipper choked out between an endless round of laughter, "I can't – I can't –" With the thick lining holding him down snugly on all ends, there was no hope of escape.

"On second thought…" Wendy moved her hand lower, remembering the embarrassing scenario she was placed in earlier that day, "How about I give you a taste of your own medicine?" With that, she dragged her fingernails against the backside of his knees, making him jerk wildly and holler even louder.

After a few minutes of continuous agony, Wendy stood up and admired her handiwork. Dipper was left worn out and curled up in the torn curtain. She lowered her head and smirked, "I'll admit it, Dip. You got me good today, but like I said before, anything you can do, _I can do better!_ So, please, for both of our sakes, quit while you're ahead…"

Even though Dipper could make out everything Wendy was saying, he found himself in a form of stupor, trying to comprehend what had happened.

 _"But how did she – I mean, how could – I saw her leave! How didn't I hear her coming?"_

Wendy raised her head as she spotted something along the wall, "Oops! Almost forgot about those guys…" She carefully stepped over her conquered comrade; her bare feet created a series of damp footprints as she collected her boots and socks stashed away in the far corner.

" _She totally set up me…"_ Dipper realized. " _She even made a set of false footprints so I'd think it was someone else…_ " Awed by Wendy's attention to detail, he stayed hushed as the young lady leaned against the wall as she threw on her footwear, coming to terms that as long as she was a friendly adversary, _no place would be safe_.

"So, hey," Wendy asked, her demeanor returned to normal, "We still on for Movie Night tomorrow?"

Without saying a word, Dipper held his knees to his chest and nodded in response.

"Good to hear. Tell ya what; I'll bring the junk food, and you can pick the flick. That sounds good?"

He again bobbed his head to answer.

"Great!" Wendy walked back to the still-wrapped-up boy and patted his capped head, "I'll see you then, okay?"

Leaving her broken co-worker be, the trickster walked down the stairs and made her way towards the family-only exit. As she passed the hallway, Wendy stopped to see the second Pines twin watching TV with her pet pig on her great uncle's recliner.

"See ya later, Mabel! I'll be back tomorrow!"

"Oh, hey!" Mabel looked away from the tube, "Did you get him?"

"You betcha! I told Dipper to quit and give it up, but you know – boys will be boys…"

The tiny brunette raised an eyebrow, "So, then what are you going to do about it?"

"Good question, kid…" Wendy placed a hand under her chin as she bent down on the banister. "Good question…"

* * *

The next day, Dipper had just come back from another search in the luscious Gravity Falls Woods, and yet, remained on lookout. However, it wasn't the supernatural elements that had his mind racing. He couldn't help but be a bit jumpy, especially after the surprise attack that occurred the day before.

However, as torturous as Wendy's payback was, Dipper had to admit that he did find the shifting rivalry between them to be exciting. It was nerve-wrecking thinking that the sly ginger could be hiding in the shadows, ready to strike at a moment's notice, and yet, it was just as exhilarating when he was able to catch her off-guard and extract his own form of revenge.

The only question that remained in his mind was if Wendy felt the same way; after all, she never once hesitated in paying him back in full, seemingly enjoying every last instance of her retaliation.

As these thoughts swirled in his consciousness, Dipper walked around from the back side of the Mystery Shack, halting in his tracks at the sight mere feet away.

Wendy Corduroy lied fast asleep, face down in a lounging chair placed on the side of the tourist trap. Enveloped in the shade that the building provided, the weary cashier used her fluffy hat as a makeshift pillow. Her right arm and booted feet dangled from the various sides of the seat. Her long, straighten red hair traveled down her backside. It was his guess that Wendy was hiding out from whatever mundane task Stan had lined up for her.

At first, Dipper was simply going to let her be, but as he passed through halfway, he stopped again. The small sleuth bit his cheeks as his roguish side beckoned to him – daring him to ignore Wendy's warning and take full advantage of this extremely rare opportunity. After a few moments of inner debate, Dipper decided to listen to the proverbial devil on his shoulder, wishing to end their personal competition as the sole victor.

Carefully tip-toeing ever closer, Dipper stood over Wendy's unconscious form. With a puckish beam plastered on his face, he tilted over and held a hand above each of her sides.

"Hey, Wendy…" he playfully whispered just before digging in her love handles with his chubby fingers, "I… _gotcha_!"

To Dipper's surprise, the tickle attack had no effect. Wendy remained motionless as she maintained her peaceful slumber. Left confused, he moved down to the underside of her knees, where he flicked a speedy fingernail across both.

Wendy still had no reaction to his taunt. Her body didn't move a single inch.

"Wow…" Dipper moved back, "I knew Wendy was a deep sleeper, but this is nuts!" As he scratched his head in confusion, his eyes traveled to the muddy shoes hanging off the edge of the lengthy seat.

"Huh…" he flashbacked to a few days before, when he was first able to get the drop on Wendy, "Well, it worked before – maybe it'll do the trick again…"

Very carefully, Dipper gently seized the slicked right wader and pulled it towards him, hoping that he wouldn't wake her until the time was right. The tween gasped in astonishment at the display. Instead of seeing a flannel-clad foot, a bunch of multi-colored leaves came flowing out of the blue pant leg.

"Wait, what?! What's wrong with her?"

Dipper treaded closer, placing a concerned hand on her shoulder. As he was distracted by the unusual sight, a shadow flew over his head. He mistook the bustling of the nearly trees as the wind merely blowing past. Using both hands, he lugged the form twice his size, only to have his blood run cold as the truth was revealed.

As Dipper turned Wendy's body over, another group of leaves came pouring out from where her face should have been. He let out a startled cry as he released the green shirt, watching as the mess of red hair sink down into the grass below. Dipper peered into the stuffed plaid outfit, seeing that it was packed completely full of fallen foliage.

 _"It's – It's a dummy! A dummy made to look like Wendy!"_

He examined the imitation further, totally unaware of the shadowy figure sneaking up from behind. A branch cracked beneath its foot, making it freeze in uncertainty. Dipper hoisted himself up as he heard the sound pan out. His nerves set to a near-panic, he stood with his back turned away from the intruder, waiting for the perfect chance to counter. The hairs on the back of his neck rose as Dipper listened as the near-silent trespasser slinked ever closer.

Wendy lounged at Dipper in a bear-hug manner, "Got – huh?"

She looked to see that her arms were empty. The teenager glanced down to see that her witty friend had ducked at the last second, narrowly avoiding her attack. He stuck out his tongue and sang, "Nyah-Nyah! Missed me! Missed me! Now, you gotta – "

Before Dipper could finish his verse, Wendy dashed towards the mocking boy, making him jump up to a sprinting position. Running hard on the balls of his feet, Dipper ran into the forest, only to notice Wendy a few yards behind.

"Come back here, Dipper! Right now!"

"Nuh-uh! No way!"

"Just you wait! I knew you wouldn't be able to resist messing with that decoy I made! And now, I'm going to get ya! It's just a matter of time!"

In spite of the ongoing chase, Dipper couldn't help but smile at the utter thrill and excitement that he felt. He turned around to see that Wendy shared the same expression; a dimpled grin stretched across her freckled face as she shortened the gap between them.

"Get real, short stuff!" Wendy informed as she went on chasing the blue and orange speck in between the various type of trees, "Do you really think can you outrun me out here? I grew up in these woods! I know every piece like the back of my hand! There's nowhere you can hide from me!"

"Maybe…but it doesn't mean I'm not gonna try!"

Dipper came across a sweep hill leading up on an incline. Knowing his exasperated sweetheart wasn't too far behind, he began to scale the grassy knoll. At the very top, an extensive, hollowed out log stretched out onto the other side. Seeing the tip of Wendy's brown trapper cap behind him, Dipper took a deep breath and threw himself into the log, hoping that she would be too big to enter.

As the youngster made it halfway through the passage, something had snagged his left ankle. He turned around to see that Wendy had followed him through, taking a hold of one of his black sneakers.

"Oh, no you don't!" Wendy winked at him, "You're not getting away that easy!"

As she tried to jerk Dipper back out through the opening, he let out a cry as he attempted to break free (but making sure not to accidentally kick Wendy in the process). He reached towards the exit and pulled outwards, well out of her hold. He carefully made his way down the other side of the hill and headed back into the forest when a voice called out:

"Wait a sec, Dipper! Come back!"

"HA!" he laughed, "Yeah, right!"

"Dude, I'm being super serious…" He noticed that Wendy's tone had suddenly changed to a somber one, "I – I think I'm stuck!"

He skidded to a halt, "What?!"

Still on high alert, Dipper backpedaled up the hill, taken aback by what awaited him at the top. After taking a second to let things set in, he held a hand against his mouth in an effort to stop the outpour of hearty laughter.

"Don't you laugh! It's not funny!"

Feeling more confident, he walked forward without fear of reprisal, "Sure it is…"

Sure enough, he knelt down to see a small brown spot on top bobbing up and down out of the end of the log. Dipper removed the downy hat to find Wendy staring up at him with starry emerald eyes; her shoulders firmly pinned at her sides as she tried to twist herself free, grunting and cursing all throughout.

"Well, well, well…" Dipper said, sarcastically tapping a finger against the side of his face.

"Dipper…"

"My, oh, my, oh, my…"

"C'mon, man!" Wendy complained, letting out another strained moan, "Are you gonna get me outta here or not?"

"Oh, I will, I will," Dipper pledged, turning his back on her. Wendy could see that he was reaching upward for something, but was unsure for what exactly. "But first, I want to make the best of this strange little coincidence.

""Strange little…" – what the heck does that mean?"

He stooped down in front of her, a large, yet thin lime-green leaf in each hand, "What that means, Wendy, is that I have you exactly where I want you, and there's nothing you can do about it!"

Before she could respond, he took his right hand and placed it under her defenseless chin. The trapped girl let out a few giggles as she writhed uncontrollably. Wendy growled as she went to bite the air in front of her mocking playmate, warning him to stop before he got into real trouble.

"See, Wendy? You _do_ find it funny, too!"

"Knock it off, Dipper!" she said as the snickers subsided, a goofy smirk still shown, "I'm not kidding around…"

"I'm sure you aren't, but in the meantime…" He overlooked Wendy fixed up in her current predicament. Her head stuck out of the near end the log, as her mid-section was completely wedged within the narrow space, making nearly all of her receptive spots impossible to access. Dipper noticed her lanky legs kicking and lashing out from the opposite end. "…now that I think about it, I really didn't get a chance to finish things last time…"

"Do what?!" Wendy's green eyes followed Dipper as he went around the side of the log until she wasn't able to see him any longer. A second later, the fifteen year old could sense something fumbling about by her lumberjack boots. "DUDE! NOT COOL! NOT COOL!"

He played dumb as he pulled off her left shoe, "And what isn't "cool," Wendy?"

"You know darn well what! Stay away from my feet!"

"Oh, but where's the fun in that?" Dipper asked, relieving her of her second boot, "Besides, if everything was flipped around, you wouldn't hesitate to do the same thing to me…"

"True," Wendy admitted, "But this is _me_ we're talking about here, and – AAH!"

The pinned adolescent could feel her red and orange striped socks slowly being peeled from her feet. The cool air on her uncovered foot bottoms sent goosebumps up across her legs. Finally ready to begin his devious makeshift plan, Dipper sat down in front of the still-flapping peds with an instrument of torture in each hand, "Now, where did I leave off – "

Without any notice, Wendy's legs reached out and wrapped themselves around the mischievous boy, holding him tightly in place. He struggled to get loose as she shouted from the other end, "I told you, it ain't gonna happen, kiddo!" As Wendy tightened her grip, Dipper turned his head to see an unprotected bare foot close to his left hand. He wiggled his arm free, and quickly scribbled his fingertip across her sole.

Wendy let out an echoing guffaw as her entire body spasmed in ticklish reflex. The sudden weakness allowed Dipper to wedge himself out from between the constricting thighs. She launched a leg back, missing hitting him in the face by mere inches.

"Huh…I think we're going to have to do something about that…" He stood up and started to remove his belt from around his short pants.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Wendy could feel something wrapping around her ankles, "Dip, what is that?"

"Something that'll prevent getting my face caved in…" Dipper knew that despite her better intentions, Wendy had the athletic ability that could easily rival a full-pledged black belt. All it would take is one accidental blow from the lumberjack princess to seriously injure him.

Dipper sat back on his heels as he admired his handiwork. Using his belt to bound Wendy's bare feet together, the limbs could do nothing but slightly wobble side to side.

"Ohh…" she protested from the other side, testing the limits of her bonds, "You're not playing fair, Dipper!"

"Well, all's fair in love and war…" Dipper picked up his oversized leaves and held them over her soles.

"This is your last warning, kid! Don't you dare!"

Simultaneously, Dipper hauled the tips of the leaves across Wendy's feet, sending her into a near-hysterical frenzy. She thrashed and bucked with all of her strength, only to be defeated by the concave structure encasing her. Her hearty laughter ricocheted throughout the Gravity Falls Forest.

"AHH-HAHAHAHA! STOP IT! EHHHAHA! STOP IT!"

"Why do you want me to stop?" Dipper asked insincerely as he went on with the tickle torture, "It sounds like you're having a lot of fun over there!"

"You - *snicker* - you know you're making – AHAHA! – you're making me laugh like this!"

"True, but you can't tell me that you're not enjoying this…" Within the last few minutes, Dipper had noticed that Wendy had stopped fighting back, seemingly content with accepting her torturous fate. "C'mon…" he asked, switching his tactic as the leaves started to trace every wrinkle in her delicate foot skin, "Be honest with me; you liked this whole thing we've been having – going back and forth like this…"

Dipper stopped the tickles to let Wendy answer. Literal tears were streaming down her face as she tried to catch her breath, "…M-M-Maybe…but that still doesn't change things…"

"Change what?"

"When I get out of here –"

" _If_ you get out of there –" Dipper corrected.

"When I get out of here, " Wendy reinstated, "You are so-o-o-o-o dead, dork. I mean it! Like, everything that I put you through before? It's gonna seem like pre-school, man!"

Dipper slumped down on his stomach, holding his head up with the palm of his hand, "Well, that's kinda mean, isn't it? And besides, I can think of eight people who might disagree with you…"

"Eight people?"

"Oh, you know," Dipper took a leaf tip and placed it against the base of her big toe, "The little piggy that went to market…"

"Oh, no!" Wendy howled as she shook her tied legs futilely, "No! No! HAHAHAHA! No!"

"The little piggy that stayed home…"

"I swear to you, Dip…" Wendy chortled as she tried to use one foot to cover up the other being attacked, "I swear…"

To counter, Dipper merely switched feet as he resumed reciting his nursery rhyme, "And you can't forget the little piggy that had roast beef. Or the little one that had none!"

"ARRRGGGH-HEEHEEHEEHEE!" Wendy's face had turned beet red, nearly matching her hair in coloring.

"And these little piggies…" Dipper set the leaf down as he tenderly pinched both of Wendy's pinkie toes, "…went "wee-wee-wee" all the way back home!" As he finished the final line, he went back to her bare soles, scrapping a nail down from the top of her heels to the tips of her unpolished toes.

"OKAY! OKAY-HAHAHAH! NO MORE! PLEASE, NO MORE!"

Dipper stopped his assault, "Does this mean I win? Do you finally give up?"

Wendy wheezed for a moment before giving her answer, "I do… _not_!"

"What?!"

"Y-You think that this is the worse I've ever experienced?" Wendy turned her head around as much as she was allowed, "I have _three_ younger brothers, Dipper; each as cruel and heartless as the last! So, if you think you're going to make me quit, then guess again!"

"Is that a fact?" Feeling that his redheaded secret love had just raised the ante, Dipper re-equipped the leaves and flipped them over, holding their stems against the undersides of her feet. "Well, that means I'm going to have to try even harder, aren't I?"

"MWHAHAHAHAHA!"

Holding the bouncing, blue-jeaned shins with one arm, Dipper outlined the instep of each foot with his remaining hand, making both arches flex on impulse.

"LEMME OUT! LEMME OUT! LEMME OUT!"

With all of her remaining strength, Wendy rocked herself back and forth, attempting to break out of her makeshift prison. Even though his attention was focused on their competition, Dipper noticed that the log containing his sweetie was now teetering awfully close to the hilltop's edge. He immediately stopped his attack.

"Um…Wendy?"

The riled-up cashier wouldn't hear him out, "GIMME OUTTA HERE! RIGHT NOW!"

She threw her whole weight in one direction, forcing the log off of its holding. Seeing what was about to occur, Dipper went to throw himself on top of the dead wood…

…only to miss it by a milli-second. He landed on the flat prairie, watching in horror as Wendy tumbled down the hillside at break-neck speed!

"WHOA-A-A-A!"

"WENDY!" Dipper hopped to his feet and gave chase after his runaway crush. Getting bogged down by the steep decline, he looked ahead to see that the speeding log was headed towards a tall redwood growing at the bottom of the mound.

"LOOK OUT!"

*CRASH!*

A sickening cracking sound boomed through the entire woods. Dipper jumped onto the flatland as he stumbled over pieces of broken wood, "Oh, man! Oh, man! Oh, man! What did I do?!" His heart sunk into his gut as an overwhelming sense of guilt filled his being. Wendy had warned him to stop his impromptu prank before it was too late, and now, there was a chance that he ended up getting her hurt – or worse!"

"WENDY!" Dipper called out again as he made his way to the front of the log prison, "I didn't – I didn't mean it! Just be okay, please?"

From out of the blue, something shot out of the shattered remained with an Amazonian roar. Dipper looked up to see an enraged Wendy Corduroy looking down on him with pure and utter contempt – the exact same look her easily-angered father would occasionally give.

Before Dipper had a chance to react, Wendy dove and grabbed him by an ankle, hoisting him upside down into the air. He was pulled upward until he met her face to face.

Trembling in fear, Dipper was the first to speak, "You're – You're alright…" A quick glance revealed that the ginger only suffered a minor bump on her forehead.

"So," Wendy addressed, dangling her aficionado roughly, "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"Uh…" Dipper gave her an ashamed look before forcing a charming grin, "…gotcha?" He winched as Wendy clasped his leg even harder.

"You wanna try that again?"

"Okay! Okay!" He pushed out his arms in surrender, "I'm sorry! Really, really, really sorry!"

"Huh…" Wendy twisted her captive slightly, enjoying watching him quake before her, "Mmm…nope! I don't think you're _that_ sorry…" She nudged his stomach with her index finger, "Don't worry; by the time I'm done with you, _you will be_ …"

"W-W-What did you have in mind?"

Wendy's beam grew deeper, "Wouldn't you like to know…?"

* * *

Mabel opened the Gift Shop Door, "What is that?"

Followed by her pet pig, Waddles, the slightly oldest Pines twin noticed that an odd sound was coming from the woodlands just outside her great-uncle's Mystery Shack. To her, the noise seemed like a mixture of livid screaming and a child's laughter.

She trailed the clamor pass the cluster of trees that surrounded the modest tourist trap. Moving between the redwoods, Mabel finally reached her destination as she stumbled upon a random clearing in the middle of the forest. Her brown eyes were drawn to a flying object moving about the sky. It flew backward and forward, similar in nature to a pendulum, shrieking and giggling with each bow taken.

At first, Mabel couldn't understand what was happening before her. It was when she squinted a bit harder that the strange scene playing out finally made sense.

"Whoa-ho-ho-ho!"

"Oh, hey, small fry!" Wendy Corduroy, her friend and co-worker, cheerfully greeted her. Lying comfortably on a lounge chair, the ginger motioned for the metal-mouthed pixie to join her with her free hand, "I guess we were making too much noise, huh?"

"Kinda…" Mabel came closer, her sight never faltering from the awesome display set over head, "Well…" she asked Wendy, "So, I take it that this means you won the contest?"

"Of course!" the teen prided. "Was there ever any doubt?"

"Not really…" The girls' eyes continuously followed the airborne figure in perfect synchronization. Mabel turned to Wendy, "How much longer are you going to keep him up there?"

Wendy lifted her shoulders, "I dunno. He's already been there for about a good half-hour. It all depends on if he's learned his lesson…" She shouted out to the swinging shape, "Isn't that right, Dipper?"

The now-shirtless boy yelled back, having to break his sentences up due to his flight pattern:

"What?! I – HEHE! – can't hear – HAHAHA! - what you guys - YAHAHA! - are saying!"

Hung inverted by his legs, Dipper was swung back and forth through the clearing. As he reached the ground level, a barrage of feather dusters, floor bushes, mops, and carpet sweepers anchored in the hard earth awaited him, forcing him to laugh hysterically as the tips made contact with his naked skin. He soared past, having the momentum carry him back into the fuzzy brink a few seconds later.

The rope holding his shins was wrapped around a sturdy branch positioned overhead, leading back into the right hand of Wendy herself. She yanked on the twine in a constant rhythm, as if she was a modern-day bell-ringer, constantly sending her boy into a ticklish confrontation every couple of moments.

"Hey, Wendy? – GHAAA! – Can I - *snort* - come down – HA! –now?"

She looked up at him with disappointment, "And what did I say? Every time you ask me that, I'm going to keep you up there another five minutes!"

"C'mon, Wendy – BWHAHA! – I think all the blood – TEEHEE! – left my feet! I'm – HAHA! – gonna pass out!"

Wendy stood up and stretched, "Well, I don't know…"

"Please?!"

"All right! All right! You've suffered enough; I think you get the message…"

"Oh! Oh, thank heavens…"

As Wendy went to lower Dipper, Mabel sprung up and grabbed the cable out of her hand, "Hang on a sec! I didn't get my turn yet!" Gripping the coil tightly with both hands, she pumped up and down on the rope, "Fly, Dipper, fly!"

Just as his anxiety was starting to settle, Dipper was powerless but to watch as he was thrown directly back into the path of the instruments of his persecution. He covered his face, letting out a muffled scream:

"AAAAHHHHHH – Wha -?"

Suddenly, Dipper felt his body being jerked back before he reached his goal. He opened his eyes to see that Wendy had grabbed him by the shoulders just in the nick of time. As Dipper let out a sigh of relief, his rescuer playfully poked his red button-nose, taunting in a sing-song voice, _"Gotcha…"_


End file.
